Left Behind
by ddgorgeous
Summary: He promised he'd do anything to protect her and get her back to her family. What will the real cost be to fulfill that promise?
1. Chapter 1

**Jet - Tuesday - Morning**

Each member of the team was anxious to get home. This was one of those cases that made them question if what they did everyday made a difference. This case involved children being victimized by an UnSub who took joy in sexually abusing young boys before brutally killing them. None of them had gotten much sleep the night before and the ride home no doubt would be a somber one.

JJ tried desperately not to think of her young son, and imagining him as one of the victims. Compartmentalizing, that was what they had been trained to do; keeping their personal lives separate from what they did for a living. It was necessary but she wasn't sure if any of them had been truly successful at it. JJ was grateful that she had Will and that he was more than capable of protecting their son. She needed her husband right now; what she wouldn't do to have his arms wrapped around her this very moment and to have her precocious son jump on the bed demanding hugs, kisses and a bedtime story.

They all worried about Morgan the most on these cases. He'd been a victim and knew first hand what it was like to be one of those boys. He'd sworn that he was fine, successfully completed counseling but the after affects were still apparent, and the nightmares where still just as vivid as they'd always been. He was way beyond counseling, after all, they knew how to get around the questions, they'd written them. He was a master at smooth talking his way out of his sessions. Morgan had only shared and opened up to Garcia. She had witnessed first hand what he went through after these cases. He'd lost count of the nights his nightmares had kept them both awake.

She was relieved to know that her team was on their way home. As usual, she would wait for them at the office before heading home. She needed to look at them and she needed his arms around her pulling her close to him when he stepped off the elevator. There would be no sleep for him tonight or for her for that matter.

Morgan was the last to board the plane. He noticed the far away look in JJ's eyes and he knew what she was thinking. He took the seat across from her breaking her away from her thoughts of home. She smiled at her friend; she knew he knew what already had her troubled.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah. These cases…I just can't help thinking about Henry."

"I hear you. How can you not think of your son? I mean I know they teach us to separate our lives from our jobs but…"

"We're human, right? Those little boys weren't that much older than Henry. Does it mean I can't do this job?"

"No not at all. You're a mother. Having to look into the faces of other mothers who've just lost a child…like that…Honestly, JJ, I admire you for being the amazing mother, wife and agent that you are. If it were me, I don't think I could do it."

"Thanks, Derek."

She looked away not wanting him to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You're a good friend. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime."

Derek smiled and placed his headset over his ears, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"How do you handle it?"

"Excuse me?" He said, pulling the headset away from his head.

"I mean, you know what those boys must have felt before he killed them. How do you handle it?"

Setting the headset down on the empty seat next to him, he looked down trying to process her question. No one had ever asked him how he managed after these cases.

"It's hard. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday that I was trapped in that cabin with Carl. I still blame myself for all of Carl's victims that came after me. I don't know how I handle it, JJ. Day by day."

"This sucks!"

"Yeah, you're right. It sucks." He agreed.

Hotch had watched them all board the plane. They looked like battle worn soldiers dragging themselves onto the plane. They needed a break; time away and it didn't take a brain surgeon to see it.

Rossi sat across from him and he seemed to understand his concern without Hotch saying a word.

"What are you thinking? A week? Two?"

"Two would be great but I don't think the bureau would go for it."

"Look at them. They're all running on fumes."

"What about you?"

"Believe me, my tanks is running low too." Rossi admitted.

"I've already put a call in to Cruz."

The tired and worn group of fighters against all things evil would need to call on even more strength for they had no idea what lay ahead for them. It would be a battle more terrifying more treacherous than any chase of an UnSub. The odds would be stacked against them and survival would rest in the hands of God. The time off they all so desperately needed would have to wait. None of them even the strongest of the group had been trained to handle the next moments, hours, and days. Sleep had lulled them into a false sense of security with thoughts of home and the safety of familiar ground. But home was still a long way away and safety would soon become a fleeting memory.

**BAU Headquarters, Quantico, VA – Tuesday Afternoon**

Garcia suddenly felt a cold chill that sent a shiver through her body straight to her core. She couldn't explain it. It was one of those eerie feelings you get just when something bad is about to happen. Her mind went immediately to Morgan and the team. She wanted to dismiss it as just concern because she knew this case had been rough especially for him. But even after trying to distract herself with an online game, she couldn't shake it.

Just as she got up to leave her lair, hoping that a change of scenery would do her good, she saw Agent Anderson at the door. He looked pale and his eyes were wide open and terror was written all over his face. It was bad news. She didn't want to hear it. Not now. There had been too much bad news for one lifetime.

"Ms. Garcia?" He said with a shaky voice.

"Penelope. Please call me Penelope."

"Sorry. Uh… Penelope…"

She saw it… in his eyes…he had something to tell her that would turn her world upside down.

"I have some news…."

"What? Did something happen? Please don't tell me something happened!"

"I'm sorry. I just got word… The jet carrying the team has vanished!"

Her heart stopped… in that moment…and she couldn't breathe… this couldn't happen… not now…

She felt her legs give way under her. Anderson reached her in time to help her sit down. She thought she'd heard him say that the jet was missing. Her family, Derek had vanished. No, she had misunderstood, right? Because they were due home in just a few hours…and she hadn't told him yet…she had a surprise for him…she had made plans for them for the weekend to tell him the news…so this was some cruel joke… it had to be…

"Penelope? Penelope, are you okay? Please say something"

"What? No! I'm not alright!"

She looked the concerned agent in the face with tears streaming down her face.

"He can't be gone."


	2. Chapter 2

In a deep hidden portion of the Rockies a part of the forest where very few people dared to venture into, laid the smoldering remains of the BAU jet. It seemed as if the thick seemingly impenetrable ceiling of trees and foliage suddenly opened up and swallowed it and then closed it's jaws again hiding it's presence; the smoke the only evidence of its existence wafted through the trees quickly disappearing into the thin air.

Morgan was the first to open his eyes. Everything around him was in disarray. The cabin was mangled and chaos had taken the place of the impeccable order that was commonplace. He was in pain and that pain was the first reminder that the unthinkable had happened. The jet had crashed and for some reason he was alive to confirm it. He was afraid to look around for fear he was the only one to survive.

Then he heard a moan and he saw JJ laying an arm's length away, her face covered with her blonde hair mixed with blood and debris that had found a resting place on her small frame. He managed to fight past the ache in his shoulder to free himself from his seat belt and rushed to her side. Carefully brushing the hair from her face he checked her pulse and her breathing. He closed his eyes in relief he was not alone.

One by one he moved through the cabin checking on the status of his teammates. Hotch was next and he lay motionless and Morgan felt panic when at first he could feel no pulse. But there it was, faint but enough to give him hope. Rossi was awake now but slow in moving, complaining of feeling dizzy. Morgan looked down and felt a wave of nausea at the older agent's foot, twisted and pinned beneath one of the seats.

He heard his name faintly…it was Reid…thank God he was alive too. Somehow all of them had managed to survive the crash he didn't know how but he wasn't going to question it for one more second. He moved as quickly as possible over to Reid; he was still held tightly in his seat bleeding from several cuts on his face and neck; the broken window next to him the obvious culprit. The wound on his neck brought back unpleasant memories and he held him still until he could get the young genius to focus and to listen to his instructions.

"Don't move!"

His voice was unable to conceal his panic.

"Morgan? What happened?"

"We crashed. I need you not to move, please. You've got a nasty gash on your neck that I need to take care of. Can you do that for me, kid?"

"Yeah, yeah…what about the others?" Reid asked drowsily.

"They're going to be fine. Just please don't move."

Morgan had literally landed in his worse nightmare. He looked around and wanted to panic, to scream but he didn't have that luxury. He had to help them now and he honestly didn't know how he was going to be able to do it all. He'd forgotten about his shoulder he was in the best shape of all of them. His team lay strewn around him in varying degrees of injury none good he only hoped that help was on its way.

**BAU Headquarters, Quantico, VA Tuesday Afternoon**

Garcia felt numb as she sat in the conference room listening to the latest report. The conference room had been turned into command central and the bullpen below was filled with agents and personnel from almost every department in the federal government. Counter Terrorism had agents discussing the notion that the jet had been shot down by terrorist even though no one had claimed responsibility. The FDA was in charge of organizing the chaos that buzzed around her. Still, she sat trying to focus on the chatter that would give her a clue as to what had happened to her family. She hadn't heard her name being called it wasn't until she felt Anderson's hand on her shoulder that she was pulled back to the present.

"Ms. Garcia…I mean Penelope, are you okay?"

"You keep asking me that. No! I'm far from okay!" She snapped.

She was immediately sorry and embarrassed at her outburst. It wasn't his fault he was just trying to help; they both knew there was nothing short of a miracle that would change how she felt.

"I'm sorry, Anderson. You didn't deserve that..."

"No, it's okay. I understand, really."

"Thanks."

"I just wanted to let you know that they're getting ready to start the preliminary briefing."

"Oh… oh, okay. Thank you."

Garcia shifted her body to face the front of the room. She couldn't help but to think about the countless times she'd sat here facing the board listening to Hotch as he stood before her and the team. Now instead of Hotch it was Unit Chief, Mateo Cruz and Travis Putnam, head of Emergency Response for the FDA. He was the one dispatched when missing aircraft involved government officials and/or sensitive issues. She had never met him but her logic insisted that he had to be good at what he did. Why else would he have such a specialized area of control? Her reasoning didn't make her feel any better but she wanted it to.

"We received a report that the G550 Lear Jet Air Craft number N550GA, carrying five members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, disappeared from radar at approximately 11:15 this morning. The Jet took off from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport at 9:47 this morning and suddenly disappeared about an hour and half later." Putnam began.

"Was there a distress call prior to the jet vanishing?" Someone asked from the rear of the room.

"No. That's why we've called in Counter Terrorism to rule out a terrorist attack." Cruz answered.

"Has anyone claimed responsibility?" Another unknown person asked.

"No. Not as of yet." Putnam responded.

"What are you doing to find them?"

She had found her voice quivering and laced with fear but she found it nonetheless.

"We are using every resource at our disposal to find out what happened." Cruz reassured.

"But they couldn't have just vanished…"

"You're absolutely right and trust me, we're doing everything we can to find them."

Tears streamed down her face as she looked into Cruz's eyes. Did he understand whom he was talking about? Did he realize what these people meant to her? She needed them home…she needed him home with her… safe. She kept staring wondering if he really knew that she needed to believe in his words right now because her world was threatening to fall apart.

Absentmindedly, she placed her hand on her stomach and began rubbing small delicate circles on it. Less than twelve hours ago, she'd been so happy. She thought it was the flu; she never felt nauseous unless it was some sort of bug going around or she'd eaten something bad, neither was the case and she'd confirmed it with a quick trip to the drug store and a few anxious minutes in the bathroom while Derek was out on a run. She wanted to break the news as soon as he walked back into the house, but on second thoughts she figured it would be more fun to surprise him in some funny and clever way. Now, here she sat, kicking herself for not telling him. There job taught them nothing if it did not teach them that tomorrow wasn't promised and second thoughts or chances had no place in their lives.

She quietly left the room and headed to his office. She loved coming here when he was out of town on a case. He always seemed to leave a little of himself here, she liked to think he did that just for her. She missed him from the moment he hugged and kissed her goodbye. Even before he stepped foot on the elevator she wished him back in her arms. Now, as she stood crying uncontrollably in his space, she strained to smell the remnants of his cologne, he had to be okay. Her life needed him in it, right here and now… especially now.


	3. Chapter 3

He already knew the pilot was dead as he slowly made his way toward the front of the plane. The nose had hit first and there was no way Curtis could have survived; he still wondered how he and the others had. He looked around at what was left of the cockpit. Nothing resembled anything that he was used to seeing. Trees, broken glass and mangled steel were all that existed in that space now. He owed the man who had been responsible for getting them back and forth for the last ten years a proper burial but for now he had to take care of the living. He could hear the moans and cries of pain and so without further thought he turned and rushed back to the others.

**BAU Headquarters –**

Garcia placed herself in the middle of the action. She had to keep her mind fixed on the business of bringing them home. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on the, "what if's" of the situation or she'd lose her mind and the only thing she had left was her sanity.

The entire office had been transformed into command central and Kevin had joined her in her lair to run additional searches. It was odd that her past was assisting her in finding her present but even that thought was quickly pushed aside to deal with the task at hand.

According to the last update, the FAA was optimistic about being able to locate the general area of the crash because it had happened less than an hour after take off. The bad news however, was the fact the area was so dense that it was extremely difficult to move around once a search party was on the ground and it was nearly impossible to see wreckage from the air unless there were survivors and if there were survivors, they would have to be able to get some sort of signal above the trees for the air rescue to spot. What they did not mention in the briefing was that they weren't expecting to find any survivors and even though no one spoke the words, this was a recovery and not a rescue.

He wasn't a doctor he'd only taken the basic first aid courses required by the bureau and looking around at his friends he struggled not to panic. Hotch was by far in the worse shape and Morgan suspected that there were some internal injuries along with a nasty gash on his forehead. His speech was slightly slurred and he was in and out of consciousness. Rossi's foot was pretty serious and it had taken a lot of effort on his part to free it from the crumbled debris. Rossi tried to hide the pain but the grimace on his face told him it was bad. Reid seemed to have only superficial cuts and bruises from the broken glass that had been shattered by the crash. He was disoriented but otherwise he was doing pretty good. Next to Hotch, JJ seemed to be pretty bad as well. Her head was bleeding and she was complaining of excruciating pain from her stomach. He carefully lifted her shirt and was stunned by a large purple and black bruise across the left side of her upper body. She watched his face as he lightly touched the area. She jumped at his touch and the tears began flowing from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, JJ! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Morgan, it hurts so bad! It hurts to breathe!"

"Take it easy, okay? It's going to be okay. I promise."

"How do you know?"

"JJ, somebody's going to be looking for us and when they do, we'll get you to a hospital."

"What if they don't find us in time? What about Henry and Will?"

"JJ…"

"I can't lose them! My baby…he needs me. Will…"

"Shhh…listen to me. I'm going to get you home, okay? I promise no matter what it takes, I'm going to get you back to Will and Henry!"

JJ silently nodded as the pain racked her body again. Morgan lightly ran his hand down her cheek. He was glad she had closed her eyes; if she had seen his eyes she'd known that he was scared shitless. After her breathing had calmed and she fell asleep, Morgan moved over and took what was left of the seat next to Reid.

"Reid! How are you feeling, kid?"

Reid slowly turned his head to face Morgan.

"Considering I just survived a plane crash, other than a killer headache, I feel okay."

"Good kid, good. It looks like you and I are in the best shape."

"What's going on with the others?"

"Rossi's foot is pretty mangled, broken at the least. He's in a lot of pain. Hotch looks pretty bad, man."

"What about JJ?"

"Not good. She's got this big bruise on her stomach…"

"Might be internal bleeding." Reid guessed.

"We've got to find a way out of here. I'm not a doctor and unless you have a medical degree among all those other degrees, we're screwed if nobody finds us soon."

"What are we going to do?"

"We've got to find a way to let the rescuers know where we are. Some sort of sign or flare or something…"

"We crashed about an hour after takeoff so I'd guess we're somewhere in the Rockies. If that's the case we're virtually buried under a dense sea of trees and no one can see us." Reid surmised.

"Exactly. That's why I'm going to try and find higher ground and leave something that's visible to air search."

"Morgan, are you crazy? You'll never make it back, you'll be lost in five minutes!"

"Reid, we don't have any other choices! Hotch, JJ and Rossi need doctors, the sooner the better! I've got to do this."

"Make sure you leave a trail to guide you back."

"Believe it or not, I was a Boy Scout. I'll be fine. I need you to stay here and take care of everybody else, okay?"

"It's going to be cold soon. I'll look to see what we have to help keep us warm until you get back."

"Good idea kid."

Earl Jenkins had heard the loud boom; a sound like crunching metal hitting the ground with a large thud. It was quite a ways off; maybe a day's journey on foot still it was too close. This was his sanctuary and he didn't need intruders. He spent a lot of time and money in choosing this place. It was the perfect hiding place for his operation. No one had the courage to venture into this part of the forest especially law enforcement.

Jenkins and his cousin, Cal Irvin had made a name for themselves as the biggest illegal drug manufacturers and distributors in the northwest. Very few of their customers had actually ever seen the two but most of the heroin and meth sold on the streets in the western part of the country originated from their hidden location deep in the green lush hideaway.

Now it seemed they had company and they weren't up for guests. Earl saw this as a distraction and he hated distractions. There were times he had to stop what he was doing and handle the un-pleasantries of business.

Earl and Cal had been raised as brothers by Cal's father and one thing he'd taught them was how to hunt. He always loved hunting with his uncle. It didn't matter what they hunted, bears, coyotes or humans…it was all the same to him.

Earl tossed another log on the fire and grabbed another beer. He felt a wave of excitement rush over him as he sat in his old rickety chair in front of the roaring fire. He'd get a good night sleep tonight because tomorrow, bright and early he and his cousin were going hunting.


	4. Chapter 4

Left Behind Chapter 4

Derek knew he would be in a race against the clock. It would be dark soon and he could only imagine what that meant in the forest. He was a stranger walking around on unfamiliar territory at the mercy of whatever lived here. He'd packed his Go bag with flares, food, water his jacket and his gun. He felt uneasy leaving his team but he had to do something to get them home. Physically he was the most fit for the task and the only one except Reid who had escaped serious injury. He was worried that he would end up hopelessly lost and make matters worse but he pushed the thought from his mind and headed away from the wreckage toward the unknown.

Reid had calculated that worse case scenario, they had enough food and water to last three days and that was if they used what they had sparingly. The blankets were heavy enough to get them through a cool night but if the temperatures dropped below fifty degrees they would definitely not be comfortable. His head was throbbing and surmised he had a slight concussion but he was in far better shape than the others. Rossi was unable to move because of his leg and Hotch had been in and out of consciousness every since the crash. JJ was in a lot of pain and Reid new for certain that she was bleeding internally. He hoped Morgan's brave attempt to find a way to signal rescuers would indeed bring help sooner rather than later.

**BAU Headquarters – **

Will sat holding Henry in his arms while the boy slept totally unaware of what was happening around him and he had no idea that he may never see his mommy again. Garcia handed the man a hot cup of coffee and took the seat across from him saying nothing. Her office was the only place that had not been overrun with unfamiliar faces. Gently, she took Henry from his father's arms and laid him on the couch and then took her seat.

"How are you holding up?" she asked. His bloodshot eyes gave her the answer.

"I'm just trying to keep it together for Henry, you know?"

"Yeah." She glanced back at the sleeping boy and then back at Will on the brink of falling apart.

"I don't want to think the worse, Garcia…"

"Then don't. We've got to believe that they are still alive."

"It's just…how often do you hear of people surviving a plane crash?"

"It happens! Until I hear otherwise, they are alive." She said adamantly. _"They have to be." _She thought to herself.

The two sat in silence fighting the voices in their heads that they had both lost the loves of their lives and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

Cruz, Putnam and the rest of the team leaders responsible for the rescue were all huddled in the conference room. They had reviewed the information, the statistics, probabilities, over and over and no one wanted to speak out loud what was really on their minds. They'd held countless meetings just like this and very seldom would the outcome be any different. They'd ruled out terrorism, no one had come forward to take credit; they were certain that it was either a malfunction or pilot error but be that as it may…the likelihood of survivors was slim. The team had pinpointed the area where the jet may have gone down but even with that information it would still take time to locate the exact location…time they did not have.

**Crash Site - **

Morgan wasn't looking forward to spending the night in the thick woods. It would be dark soon and he could already feel the coolness in the air. He had no idea which way to go; every direction was nothing but a crap shoot with each turn looking exactly like the last but he had made a promise to a friend and he had no intentions on going back on his word no mater how hopeless things looked.

Rossi had managed to drag his body over to where JJ lay on the cabin floor. She was writhing in pain and he felt helpless. His foot was screaming at him in pain but he had to find a way to be useful. Reid had been moving around inventorying the food and water and looking for blankets to keep them warm during the night. Considering they had fallen out of the sky and landed nose first in the thick tree covered forest, the plane was in relatively good shape and would have to serve as shelter until they were found.

"Hey Bella, how are you feeling?"

"I've been better." She grimaced. "You don't look so good yourself."

"Yeah well…I'll be okay; nothing that a little scotch won't cure."

"Where's Morgan?"

"He went to find a way to signal rescue…higher ground."

"Dave, we're in the middle of nowhere! He's going to get lost…or worse!"

"The odds are against him but he was willing to take the chance. Besides, he's in better shape than the rest of us."

"If anything happens to him Garcia is going to kill the rest of us." She chuckled.

"My money is on Morgan. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"Well, he better be…he promised to get me home."

Morgan had been trudging through the thick dark forest for three hours; if felt like three times as long. His shoulder was beginning to remind him that he had not escaped the crash unscathed. He was careful to make small nicks on every few trees to mark his way back to the crash site. He was exhausted but he kept pushing his mind on Penelope who by now would be a wreck. He wanted to get home to her to resume their life together. Just as important was his promise to his friend. He couldn't imagine what Will and Henry must be going through and if it was the last thing he did he was going to get her back to Virginia to her family safe and sound.

**BAU Headquarters – **

Kevin couldn't help but feel guilty. He'd heard the news of the crash that Morgan and the rest of the team had been on board when the jet went down somewhere in the Rockies. He had always been jealous of the family Penelope had created with them all, especially Morgan. He knew no matter how many hours of therapy he attended nothing would be able to make sense of the bond the two of them shared. He acted like her boyfriend, her protector, her big brother all in one and when she spoke of him there was this look in her eyes that he couldn't deny. So who could blame him really, for feeling hope leap in his heart when he heard of the news.

He rushed upstairs to the BAU on the request of Section Chief Cruz to assist in the search. Cruz knew Penelope would be of very little use and again, Kevin felt that feeling of hope. He had worked on a few cases with her since their breakup and surprisingly, it hadn't been as awkward as he had anticipated. He longed for the awkward but it wasn't there because even though he had been dating steadily, she had also moved on and was happy without him. That look of contentment and confidence in her eyes spoke volumes…words he didn't care to hear.

As he stood outside her office, he inhaled and exhaled and imagined a fairytale reunion with the love of his life. Yes, he was a scoundrel for wishing that the outcome of the search confirmed his and the other's death, but he didn't care. He wanted her back no matter what happened to make that a reality. So, with a new hope and resolve he lightly knocked on her door.


	5. Chapter 5

Morgan was well into his fourth hour of making his way through the thick brush. All around him was green, trees, bushes slowing his path to what felt like a crawl but he was determined to keep going until he found a way to signal for help. It wasn't until his stomach began to growl and his shoulder began aching again that he decided to stop and rest. He wondered about his team and how they were doing, especially JJ who'd seemed to be the most injured of them all. He'd made her that promise in the heat of the moment but he meant it nonetheless. He had to get her back to Will and Henry no matter what he had to do to make it happen.

Looking around he decided on a spot and slowly lowered his sore tired body down and made himself comfortable on the soft ground and leaned his head against a large redwood. After a few moments he rummaged through his bag pulling out a bottle of water and an apple.

**Crash Sight**

Reid had kept himself busy watching over the others. Managing to immobilize Rossi's foot he now had some help in taking care of Hotch and JJ. He also had someone to ramble on and on to about nothing in particular. Hotch seemed to be doing better and had managed to pull himself into a sitting position. JJ was still in a lot of pain but with what little he knew about medicine he felt that any bleeding she had seemed to have slowed considerably but he knew she still needed real medical attention. He knew the stats and he knew the odds of them being found so hidden in the middle of a dark green nowhere. Morgan had a near impossible task but he'd learned long ago not to underestimate his fearless and determined friend. It was enough to make him hold on to his hope despite what science, statistics and the odds told him. His money was on Morgan at least for a little while longer.

**BAU Headquarters**

Garcia, Will, Agent Anderson and Kevin sat silently in the back of the room listening to the latest update on the crash. Putnam looked exhausted as he stood before the room packed with agents and federal officials.

"We've narrowed down the area that is the possible spot where the jet went down." Putnam began. "Now that's the good news."

Garcia and Will glanced puzzled at each other and then back at Putnam.

"The bad news is that the area is about ten miles in diameter and it's literally covered in trees making it nearly impossible for rescue workers to see the wreckage from the air and on top of that the winds make it very dangerous for our choppers to stay in the air for longer than fifteen minutes at the most."

Garcia felt her stomach sink. None of the news seemed good. Knowing where they were and not being able to get to them seemed almost cruel. Will buried his face in his hands not wanting to accept the grim news.

"How long will it take rescuers to get there?" Garcia asked.

All eyes fell on the blonde in the back of the room. She felt the stares but it didn't shake her resolve to get an answer to her question.

"How long will it take rescue to get to the crash sight?" She spoke again.

"We have teams leaving at sunrise and if all goes well, we expect to reach the area around eight; once there that's when the real work begins of trying to pinpoint their exact location."

It was quiet in the room with eyes still focused on Garcia almost as if they were waiting to see if the answer was satisfactory.

"Oh-okay…thank you…"

She quickly took her seat as a feeling of helplessness overcame her. Will gently placed his arm around her pulling her to him.

Kevin sat watching the scene play out. He should be the one comforting her, he thought to himself. Things didn't sound to good for the team the odds were definitely not in their favor and Kevin felt a jolt of hope. When all was said and done, Penelope would need a friend and he'd be there for her.

**Crash Sight**

Reid had managed to make sure that everyone had eaten and were tucked in. They all were thankful that the temperature hadn't dropped too low and their blankets would be enough to get them through the night.

JJ struggled through the pain and her thoughts of Will and Henry finally falling into a troubled sleep. Hotch and Rossi had drifted off to sleep Reid's mind continued to run scenarios on their chances of rescue. He wondered how Morgan was and if he was safe. He knew that Penelope would be going crazy for them all especially Morgan. After a few more minutes he too fell asleep.

Morgan was frustrated at not being able to find a clearing or any signs of higher ground. He was caught in a precarious situation. He needed to be able to signal for help but he also needed to be close enough to the crash sight to get back when help arrived. He found a spot to settle in for the night and allowed the eerie sounds of the forest to lull him to sleep.

**Home of Earl Jenkins and Cal Irvin – Early Morning**

Earl and Cal had gotten up early both excited about the day's hunt. They'd packed their supplies the night before guns, knives and extra ammo enough to kill a dozen people several times over. The two cousins headed out ready to take care of their unwanted visitors. They couldn't afford anyone stumbling onto their operation and the sound of the boom was too close for comfort. The only thing that could have caused a sound like that was a plane crash and with a plane crash comes rescuers, which spelled trouble for them.

Surprisingly, Morgan felt rested and he didn't even mind the icy morning chill. Once he began moving again his body would warm up. He craved a nice hot cup of coffee but that wasn't going to be possible this morning. By know there surely would be someone looking for them and he had to make sure they were seen from the air.

He'd walked for hours the day before with no signs of higher ground all he had accomplished was ending up further and further away from the crash site. Whatever he was going to do it had to be right where he was so that he could make it back to camp in a reasonable amount of time. He thought about his days as a boy scout, camping and learning how to survive in the wilderness. Much of what his scout leaders tried to teach him had gone in one ear and out the other but now was the time to recall what little he had absorbed and remembered.

His eyes fell on several large rocks; he began to gather them and arrange them in a circle about two feet in diameter. Then he gathered more rocks and began stacking them on top of each other until he'd created a small tower about two feet tall. Afterwards, he gathered all the dry twigs, leaves and branches that he could and stuffed them into the tower. Derek rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a lighter and lit the content of his homemade tower. The twigs and leaves were still damp from the morning dew so he used his wrappers from last night's meal of crackers and power bars to get the fire going. Now the only thing left to do was wait.

**BAU Headquarters – **

Garcia had convinced Will to take Henry home and to get some rest. He'd arranged for his neighbor to watch his son so that he could return later on that morning. Garcia however had not left settling instead for sleeping on the couch in Derek's office.

She was startled awake by a light knock on the door. Her heart jumped in her chest and she was sure it must be someone coming with bad news. Still groggy she stood adjusting her clothes and quickly running her fingers through her hair. She jerked the door open and came face-to-face with the crooked maniacal grin of Kevin Lynch holding to large steaming mugs in his hands.

"Kevin?" She questioned.

"Good Morning, P! I knew you'd still be here. I just thought you could use a cup of tea…"

"Oh…thank you…"

She stood staring at him trying to get past the ridiculous sight before her. What had she ever seen in this man, she thought to herself.

"May I come in?"

"Sure, I'm sorry. Of course come in, please."

Kevin stepped inside the office and noticed the pillow and blanket on the couch. As his eyes scanned the otherwise immaculate office he couldn't help but wonder how many times Penelope…his Penelope and Derek had done the unthinkable in this place.

"Thanks for the tea, Kevin."

Her words pulled him back to the present as he turned to face her again with that smile.

"My pleasure, Plum Sau-…I'm sorry. I'm mean Penelope."

"Would you like to sit down?"

"No, I've got some work to do. Cruz has me monitoring the rescue choppers this morning."

As if she had not heard him, Penelope turned and returned to the couch sitting her cup on the small table next to it.

"Penelope, listen I know how worried you are but you really need to get some rest. Why don't you go home and get a nap and a shower. I'll call you if anything happens before you get back. I promise."

"Thanks, but I can't…"

"Listen to me. You need to be at your best; the team's going to need you when they get back."

"But what if they don't find them or if they do find them and they're…"

"Don't talk like that."

Without warning Kevin sits next to her and pulls her into an embrace. Surprised by the gesture, Penelope stiffens in his embrace but allows him to hold her.

"They're going to be fine, I'm sure of it! We've got to stay positive, okay?"

"I know, I know. I'm just so scared. I don't know what I'd do if I lost them…if I lost Derek…'

Kevin cringed at the mention of Derek and his embrace tightened around her.

"Shh…everything is going to be just fine. Everything will work out just the way it's supposed to."

Kevin lightly began stroking her hair as he laid his chin on the top of her head.

"No matter what happens, Penelope…I'll always be here for you."


	6. Chapter 6

Penelope quickly pulled herself from Kevin's embrace and stood moving toward the door of her office. Kevin sat red-faced on the couch watching as she moved hastily away from him. There was something in her eyes that he did not want to see; he saw that she'd truly moved on completely with her life. He wanted to say he'd been replaced but that wouldn't be true. In order to be replaced would me that he at one time held a place of importance in her life, her heart, and no matter how long he had denied it, Kevin knew that he was just a place holder for Derek Morgan...nothing more. There she stood with her hand on the doorknob waiting for him to get a clue or buy a vowel to complete what she had told him almost two years ago when she ended their relationship. She didn't love him, she'd apologized profusely, but she simply couldn't spend another day wasting her time and his time on a relationship that had no future. He wanted to change her mind, wanted to prove that the FBI's super agent and resident playboy couldn't possibly be willing to give up his wild ways to settle for her. But he already knew he was wrong because the look in Penelope's eyes was the same look he saw in Derek's eyes whenever the two were together and Kevin knew that he was no match for Derek Morgan…no man was.

Kevin stood gathering what little of his pride that remained, adjusted his glasses and headed to the door taking one final look into her eyes. He was a glutton for punishment he knew but he hated losing and he hated the thought she would not be a part of his life and he wasn't quite ready to give up his dreams just yet. Besides, if the team wasn't found alive maybe, just maybe…if he won by default he'd settle for that…he could convince her that she could be happy with him…he'd do anything including swallowing his pride to get her back.

Penelope watched the pitiful look on his face; she knew exactly what he wanted. She felt bad that things had even begun with them but she couldn't deceive him or deny what her heart felt. She loved Derek, always and forever. She wondered what her life would look like now if she had not pretended that she had not understood what he'd meant so many years ago when he declared his love for her as he stood in her apartment after she'd been shot. Would they be married? Would they already have little Garcia-Morgan's running around? Had she waited too long to have a life with him?

She closed the door to her office and placed her hand lightly on her stomach and she wondered to herself if she would be raising their child alone without him ever knowing that she had given him the one thing he'd dreamt of since they'd admitted their love for each other. Tears…she couldn't stop the tears…

"_Don't leave me now, my love!"_

Derek quickly stuffed more branches and leaves into his make shift tower to keep the fire and smoke going. He knew by know that rescue would have a general idea of where they may be but finding them still would be like looking for a needle in a haystack or as Reid put it, 'like finding a needle in a stack of needles.' His shoulder once again reminded him that it was injured. Sleeping in the cool air and on the hard ground did not help matters but it was the least of his problems. He'd managed to keep the smoke going all night which was encouraging but he had to make sure it kept going long enough for him to get back to the crash site. So, he began to hunt for more fuel for his fire.

His mind was focused on getting his team home. Rossi and Hotch needed medical attention but JJ was seriously injured and no matter how much he tried not thinking about her injuries he knew she was running out of time. He couldn't let her die and he couldn't let little Henry lose his mother or Will his wife; not on his watch. They had lost too much over that last several years and the thought of losing JJ or anyone else in their family was not acceptable. He kept looking and gathering anything that would burn or smolder all the while praying that his efforts would be enough to save them.

Today was a good day for hunting; the still cool air made it easy to smell and to hear for miles. Earl led the way as Cal brought up the rear keeping his attention on the task at hand. If it was a plane crash which they both knew it was, then it wouldn't take long before they saw aircraft in the air and neither one of them was above shooting planes and helicopters out of the sky if need be. Either way, they needed to get to the crash site and if there were any survivors then the two cousins had to make sure that they would be dead before rescue arrived.

**Crash Site – **

Reid woke up stiff and sore no doubt a residual of the crash and the stress of their situation. He moved slowly over to JJ who was still asleep; she felt cold to his touch and she was so still. He checked her pulse and noticed a change from the night before; this worried him. If they weren't rescued soon he was afraid that they would lose her. Hotch wasn't doing great either; he was in excruciating pain from his head injury and Reid felt his own heart speed up as he realized that they were in trouble. The only one that seemed to not have gotten worse was Rossi although it didn't minimize his injury or need for medical help. Reid checked his watch again for the hundredth time since waking up. He tried not to worry and tried in vain to ignore the statistics running rampant through his mind then he thought of his friend who had become his brother and wondered if he would make it back safely.

Morgan stuffed the remaining branches into the tower and began the trek back to the crash site. It had taken him four hours to settle on this spot so he figured as long as he could find his markers it would take him at least that long to make it back. As he made his way through the thick brush he couldn't help but think of Penelope; he missed her and was worried about how she was handling all of this. As many times as he and the team had been up in the air he never imagine losing his life in a crash. He always assumed that if he died it would be at the hands of an UnSub; not this way.

**FBI Headquarters – Quantico, VA**

"Damn!"

Kevin slammed his fist down on the desk in anger and frustration quickly looking around to see if anyone had noticed. Luckily everyone was too busy with other things to notice him. He looked again at his monitor hoping that he was mistaken. He heard the rescue chief's voice in his headset excitedly announce that they had a visual from the air. They thought it might be smoke just beyond their current location. It was a thin faint gray line drifting up between the trees and hovering before disappearing from sight. They were lucky to have seen it…damn lucky because it was so thin and so faint but they saw it nonetheless.

"Damn, damn, damn!" He muttered again to himself.

This couldn't be happening, he thought to himself. Not now, no way! The only consolation was that perhaps they were dead and all of their hopes for a miracle would fade like the smoke that had drawn their eyes to crash area.

Kevin wasn't the only one unhappy. Earl and Cal stood motionless for a moment; they had smelled the smoke before they saw it trailing up to the sky as if reaching out to wave at the choppers above. They had to move fast before the rescuers hit the ground and began looking around in areas that didn't concern them.

As the two picked up the pace they heard movement ahead of them. They had heard animals in the woods all their lives. In fact, just by the sound of feet or hooves hitting the ground they could tell you exactly what type of animal it was. Yes, and they knew that this sound was no animal…it was human.

Morgan's heart leaped as he heard aircraft in the distance. He began to pick up his pace to a near jog, which was as fast as he could go in the thick brush without tripping over roots or fallen branches and injuring himself. The choppers overhead wasn't the only thing he heard or so he thought. Could those be footsteps? No, it couldn't be…nobody lived out here in the middle of nowhere… or could they?


	7. Chapter 7

Not since Afghanistan had JJ felt so much pain. Her insides were on fire and all she could think of was her son and her husband. It broke her heart to imagine what they were going through no doubt worried sick and perhaps they'd even given up hope of ever seeing her again. Besides, how often did anyone survive a crash like she and her team had? Already they had beaten the odds. The cool morning air had found a way inside the fuselage and she shivered slightly. She watched Reid as he checked on everyone focused and driven by his genius to do all he could to keep them warm, fed and as comfortable as possible. She'd passed on the granola bar that was breakfast she saw the worry in her young friend's eyes but all she wanted to do was close her eyes again and sleep.

Reid hadn't slept much the night before and he welcomed the light of a new day. It was chilly but it could have been a lot worse. Breakfast consisted of granola bars and bottled water. He couldn't get JJ to eat and that frightened him and made him think of Morgan and his impossible mission. The stats screamed in his head and he did his best to push them away but failed miserably. Rescue had to come soon…today or for at least one of them it would be too late.

Morgan was exhausted and his shoulder was awake and throbbing but it didn't matter as long as he could hear the choppers in the distance. He hadn't stopped to eat or rest timing was everything. His plan once he got closer to the crash site was to shoot flares through the trees to give the aircraft overhead directional clues to the wreckage below. Then once he arrived at the actual site he'd send up another flare. All of his plans would be worthless if he didn't get back soon before the rescuers changed directions and began searching on the other side of his smoke signal. JJ was counting on him and he had made her a promise. It was a promise he planned to keep.

Morgan wasn't the only one aware of the choppers overhead. Earl and Cal moved through the forest; they had to protect their secret compound from unwanted guests. They'd both made a large fortune in the drug business and they weren't about to let anything put their empire in jeopardy. Over the last twenty years it had become necessary from time to time to hunt down and kill poor unsuspecting hikers and hunters who'd accidentally wandered too deep and stumbled upon their home. This was the perfect burial site and the Rockies seemed to swallow up the cousins' secrets with ease.

**BAU Headquarters –**

Garcia stared blankly at the screens in front of her. She found comfort in her lair wandering the limitless landscape of the cyberworld. She hadn't left the FBI building since receiving the news about the crash and she found herself bouncing from here to Derek's office and back willing time to pass praying for God to return him back to her. The team had become the only family she had their friendships had saved her and seemed to make what they did for a living bearable. Now here she sat waiting to see if she would lose everyone that she loved or if a miracle would reunite them all again. She felt a wave of nausea hit with a force that reminded her that no matter what the day brought nothing was ever over and life continued with or without her permission.

Anderson burst through the door without knocking startling Garcia from her thoughts.

"They found them!"

"What?"

Garcia stood and rushed to the door not believing what she'd just heard.

"The rescue choppers have a visual on the wreckage!"

"Oh my god! Are they…?"

"They don't know yet. They're preparing to send a unit to the ground as we speak. Someone survived because that's how they were able to spot the wreckage so fast."

"What do you mean?"

"They spotted smoke and then about a two miles north someone shot a flare into the sky and it steered their line of sight directly to the jet."

"They've got to be okay! They've got to be I mean it would be cruel if they weren't. All of them they've got to be okay!"

Anderson grabbed her gently by her arms and led her back to her chair. She was near hysteria and he didn't know how to give her the rest of the news.

"Cruz is getting ready to debrief everyone downstairs."

**Crash Site – **

Reid was awakened by the noise overhead; fatigue had made him fuzzy momentarily but soon he realized what it was. He quickly made his way out of the jet to get a better view of the sky. Seeing the choppers he began to wildly wave his hands and yelling as if he could actually be heard. His heart leapt has he saw the remnants of a flare and he knew Morgan had accomplished the near impossible.

He ran back inside and joyously announced that help had arrived. Rossi and Hotch smiled in relief as he moved toward JJ. She was still and she barely responded to his nudging.

"JJ! We're going home! Wake up! Please, we're going home!"

Earl and Cal smiled as they watched the lone man move through the trees. As usual they'd argue among each other to see who'd get to take the shot. After a few minutes they'd flip a coin and then the hunt would begin. It was almost too easy, Earl thought to himself. Maybe they could find a way to have a little fun with this one before taking his life. After all, how often did they get guests?

**BAU Headquarters – **

"The good news is that we now have a visual of the wreckage and there are survivors; how many we don't know. But someone is alive because they used smoke and flares to get the attention of the choppers." Began Putnam.

Applause erupted over the entire floor as department heads, agents and others shared smiles, handshakes and hugs. Penelope began crying and Will hugged her as he fought back his own tears. Kevin watched the action from the catwalk overhead fuming and cursing to himself.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that our team is less than an hour ahead of a severe rain storm; winds are expected to exceed eighty miles an hour and at least four inches of rain."

"What does that mean?" Garcia asked her shaky voice echoed from the rear of the room.

"It means that the choppers can only stay in the area for a few minutes before they have to leave. Once that storm arrives our choppers are at risk." Cruz interjected.

"How much time?"

"Excuse me?"

"How much time does the rescue team have to get our people out?"

"At the most twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes? But…but that's not enough time!"

"It will have to be."

Penelope and Will looked at each other as their fears and doubts were renewed. The information was a lot to take in and Putnam and Cruz had failed to mention one important bit of information; the mission was not intended to be a rescue it was intended to be merely a recovery and even if they'd all survived there wasn't room enough to bring back six people.

**Crash Site – Later**

Hotch, Rossi and Reid were lifted safely onto the choppers above. Silently they waited for JJ who had already been carefully strapped into the basket. The three kept pleading for the rescuers to send a team to find Morgan but it was as if they were talking to brick walls as the men and women worked quickly almost robotically and unemotionally doing what they'd been trained to do.

"Wait! Morgan! We can't leave yet!" JJ moaned weakly as the young man strapped her in.

"Ma'am, I need you to hold still. We're running out of time!"

"No! You can't leave until he gets here! He'll be back anytime now!"

"What's taking so long, soldier?" A voice barked out of view.

"She's insisting we wait! There's another one of them out here somewhere!"

"We've got to go! Now! That storm's not going to wait for us to find one more person!" The older voice demanded.

Morgan had made it back they were going home! He was going to see his Baby Girl in a matter of hours! Just before he joined them from the trees he heard unfamiliar voices that stilled him holding him hidden amongst the thick green brush.

"I said move it! We only have space for one more. Once we get her loaded we're out of here!"

"NO! We can't…we can't leave him!"

Morgan watched as the older heavier man, who was obviously in charge, pulled the young man to his feet and pulled him away from where JJ lay strapped down. If the two had taken one more step they would have seen that he had already made it back; they didn't have to look for him after all. Still he remained in his hiding place.

"Listen boy, this was never supposed to be a rescue; we're just here to recover bodies!"

"What?"

"That's right, kid! Even if we did find the poor sap, we don't have any more room! Our orders were to recover any potentially sensitive government property and any human remains. The fact that these people are still alive goes totally against what we expected! Now move it!"

Morgan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He and the others had managed the impossible of surviving the crash and the authorities had written them all off for dead. His heart sank imagining Garcia believing he and the others were dead. He'd promised JJ that he would get her home, he'd risked his life trying to find a way to fulfill that promise and if there was a bright side, he'd kept his promise. But he wanted to go home; he needed to be home safe with Garcia and the rest of the team. If his team knew that he was here now they'd surely fight to make the rescuers make room for him some way. He was sickened that the government valued data and property more than human life. He knew the others would feel guilty for leaving him but surely they'd send help, if he held out this long he could hold out a little longer until help arrived again. He had to get JJ home no matter what.

Just as the two men returned to JJ and lifted her she turned her head towards the trees desperately hoping that Morgan would appear. Surely if he were here they'd have to make room for him; they couldn't just leave him, right? She saw the tree move, thought she saw a pair of black boots poking out amidst the green. It was him she felt her heart leap for joy as she tried to gather her strength and her voice to tell the two that her friend was back. The pain that had wracked her body from the moment they'd crashed grabbed her yanking and twisting her weakened body. The darkness began to pull her into its arms yet she fought to keep her eyes open and to remain present to plead for Morgan's rescue. It was a battle she was losing as she was carried against her will toward the chopper. She turned her head again toward the trees one last hope of seeing her friend and just as her eyes and strength surrendered to the darkness…she could swear that she saw him just beyond the wreckage.

Earl and Cal watched as the choppers few out of sight relieved that their visit had been a short one. The two exchanged glances and sly smiles as they watched the lone man watch from the trees as his friends left him behind. Now the fun would really begin. Cal fished a coin out of his pocket and flipped it in the air; heads, which gave him the first shot.

Hunkered down in the thick greenery, with his older cousin looking on, Cal raised his rifle taking careful aim and fired!


	8. Chapter 8

Earl and Cal rushed to the edge of the line of trees careful not to be seen by the choppers overhead. Cal had won the bet and they both were anxious to confirm the death of the now lone intruder.

"You missed!" Earl yelled.

The two looked around frantically refusing to believe that their prize had gotten away.

"Where is he? I can't believe you missed! You never miss!"

Cal continued looking until something caught his attention. He moved about ten feet to the left and dropped to his knees. Curious, Earl followed watching as his cousin touched a wet shiny spot on the ground.

"I didn't."

**BAU Headquarters – **

Garcia paced nervously in Morgan's office. It had become her sanctuary over the last day and a half. She knew that rescue had located the crash site but now it was a waiting game to see if the team had survived. She knew the odds and she had run countless scenarios over and over in her head. She refused to believe the worst not yet not until she had no other choice.

"They found them!" Anderson shouted as he burst through the door.

"All of them?" She asked shaking.

"No word yet but they're taking the survivors to Rocky Mountain Community now."

"I've got to go! I need to see them!"

She began nervously moving around the office in circles gathering her things and stuffing them in her bag. Anderson moved toward her and gently grabbed her arms to still her.

Kevin suddenly burst into the room and observed the scene disappointed that he hadn't been the one to bring her the news.

"Kevin did you hear the good news?" Penelope asked.

"Uh…yes I did! I was just coming to tell you but it looks like Agent Anderson beat me to it."

"I've got to go!"

"What?" Kevin couldn't believe his ears.

"I've got to go! Now!"

"Okay, well let me go and see if I can get you a flight out…" Kevin began.

"Not to worry, Kevin, Unit Chief Cruz has a private jet ready and he's taking Ms. Garcia with him."

"He is?" She asked shocked.

Kevin stood mouth open and dumbfounded.

"He is!"

Anderson smiled leading her out of the office while Kevin continued to stand not sure of what had just happened. He was supposed to be her hero not some low level flunky like Anderson! He had to step up his game before someone else slipped in and swooped on his Plum Sauce behind his back.

**Crash Site – **

Morgan felt the bullet crash into the left side of his upper back. All the time he was headed back to join his friends he'd felt as if he were being followed. Now as he fought to stay on his feet running through the thick brush for his life it was confirmed he hadn't been alone in the forest.

He kept moving as his body screamed in pain the bullet hitting in the same shoulder that had been injured in the crash. He could hear the footsteps behind him; there was no reason for them to conceal themselves now. The further and deeper into the dark mass of trees the further it took him away from where rescue would come looking for him…if they came looking for him. He regretted now not taking his chances and revealing himself to the rescue team. Surely they wouldn't have left him behind…but he'd heard the conversation there wasn't room for him and no matter what he had promised JJ that he'd get her home…now he wondered if he'd ever see home again.

_**Later…**_

The jet ride was eerily quiet and if Garcia could she'd willed them to their destination at light speed. Cruz watched her from the seat across from him; he didn't want to imagine the repercussions if the unthinkable had happened and the team had perished in the crash. As it stood now, they still didn't know if they had all survived he dreaded the thought of any bad news. He too knew the odds, the statistics and he too had run countless scenarios through his mind none had ended well.

Like everyone else he figured out that there was something going on between Garcia and Agent Morgan. Even though he hadn't been with the BAU very long, didn't claim to know anything about profiling or how they did what they did, it didn't take a soothsayer to figure out that they were more than co-workers. He'd heard about the banter between the two, the hugs and kisses the shameless display of affection in front of any and everybody, and in fact, they were the reason for a recent bureau-wide workshop dealing with conduct in the workplace.

Garcia's stomach churned and she cursed it; this was not the time for her body to remind her of her 'condition'. The last thing she needed was to… too late she jumped up from her seat and rushed to the small bathroom slammed the door and dropped to her knees in front of the small toilet. The heaving and retching felt as if her insides were being ripped from her body. Her head was spinning and it took a moment before she heard the light tapping on the door.

"Miss Garcia? Are you okay?"

How humiliating she thought as she pulled herself to her feet and braced herself on the small steel sink.

"I'm fine, Sir."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, no, just a little air sick that's all. I'll be fine."

She looked at her reflection in the mirror; mascara and eye shadow smeared in a horrible mess around her bloodshot eyes. She quickly grabbed a handful of paper towels and wet them. This wasn't the time to be sick. As she placed a shaky hand on her stomach she looked at herself again wondering how she'd make it through the next several months without Derek…he had to be okay…he had to be alive…he had to know that he was going to be a father.

Cruz reluctantly moved away from the door. There was more to this but he wasn't going to push; he didn't have the right to insinuate himself into her personal business and for sure he had not been welcomed into their tight circle.

**Rockies/Crash Site – **

He knew he was at a disadvantage but he wasn't about to give up the fight for his life. He continued to push through the maze of trees, brush and darkness but he also knew that he couldn't keep the pace up for long; he had to come up with a plan. He had quickly figured out that the men chasing him were confident, maybe too confident. This was their stomping ground and there were at least two of them so he had to divide and conquer and use their confidence against them. He still had his gun, knife and a flare left. It was getting dark and even good hunters didn't hunt at night so he would have to find a way to make the darkness his ally.

Morgan also knew that he had no water and no food. He'd only taken enough for a day leaving most of the supplies with the others. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and all around him was quiet he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. His legs were wobbly from fatigue and his shoulder was on fire. He needed to stop the bleeding and he needed to rest. Finding a spot and settling in covering himself and hiding under the leaves and branches he closed his eyes listening and praying that it would be enough to survive the night.

**Jet – **

Garcia had managed to get her stomach to settle so that she could close her eyes for minute. She hadn't slept since this nightmare had begun and she was exhausted. Cruz had not questioned her any further and for that she was grateful. In fact, she hadn't seen him since she'd come from the bathroom. Perhaps he'd decided to spend the rest of the trip sitting with the pilot.

"Maybe this will help settle your stomach."

Cruz's voice startled her as he stood in front of her holding a steaming mug in his hand. She looked up and took the cup. It was tea…chamomile…she loved chamomile tea.

"Thank you." She said taking a sip.

"It always seemed to help settle my wife's stomach."

He stared at the younger woman as she took another sip as she avoided his eyes.

"How far along are you?"

She was shocked not sure how to answer or if she should answer.

"Sir?"

"How far along? You are pregnant aren't you?"

"H-h-how did you…know?"

"I'm not a profiler but I've watched my wife go through three pregnancies I know the signs."

"Sir…I-I- we didn't…"

"I take it Agent Morgan is the father?"

"Um…how did…"

"Again, it doesn't take a profiler to know that there's something between you two."

"It's not really a secret, Sir it's just we didn't want to make a big deal because of the fact that we work together."

"Listen, don't worry about it. If Agent Hotchner doesn't have a problem with it, then I'm sure it's not a problem."

"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir."

"So, how does Agent Morgan feel about becoming a father?"

Garcia's eyes watered as she looked away not wanting him to see her break down.

"He doesn't know."


	9. Chapter 9

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – Late Evening**

Cruz followed Garcia as she rushed through the automatic doors of the busy emergency room.

"Agents Morgan, Hotchner, Reid, Jarreau, Rossi…" She said out of breath.

"Excuse me?"

The clerk looked at the wide-eyed blonde confused and disinterested.

"The FBI agents! The ones that were in the jet crash! They were brought here! Please!"

"Calm down, ma'am if you can just calm down." The clerk insisted.

Cruz finally approached the desk and intervened showing his credentials. The clerk's demeanor shifted slightly as she examined them closely.

"I'm sorry, I'm Section Chief Special Agent Mateo Cruz, with the FBI. Can you tell me anything about the agents that were brought in?"

"You mean the ones from the plane crash?"

"Yes. Please can you tell me anything?"

"They're all being examined right now but I'll have the doctor come out and talk to you as soon as he can."

Garcia struggled to hold it together as she watched the clerk talk to Cruz. This woman had shut her emotions off and her job had merely become a routine recitation of a scripted response with no regard for the families that needed her; needed a kind reassuring word from her. She just stared blankly and waited for her moment to get a word in and when she did she brought no comfort, no kindness and she was no help at all.

Without a second thought or look the woman behind the desk turned away from them to answer the phone as if they had suddenly vanished into thin air.

Cruz led the distraught Penelope Garcia to the crowded waiting room where they found an empty seat in the far corner near a family with three screaming babies with snotty noses.

"I can't believe that woman!" She began as she took the narrow plastic chair. "She was _the _rudest woman…!"

"Yes, I agree she is severely lacking in social graces."

"I'm definitely going to send a very sternly worded letter to the hospital administrator when we get back to Quantico!"

"We both will; now let's try to remain calm for now. I have a feeling it's going to be a very long night."

Cruz glanced at his watch and felt the need to amend his statement.

"And a very long morning."

Shortly after the two arrived and had become immune to the screaming babies, Will and his mother-in-law walked into the room and joined them. Cruz shook Will's hand and nodded his greeting to the older woman.

"Any news?"

"Not yet all we know is that they are being examined; that's been about an hour and a half ago."

"This is Mrs. Jarreau, JJ's mother."

"Hello Agent Cruz. Thank you for sending the jet for me."

"My pleasure, Ma'am."

"Yes. He knows a lot of people with jets." Garcia interjected.

"Just perks of the position, that's all."

**Rockies – **

The winds and rain were fierce; Derek burrowed himself deeper into his hiding place trying to stay dry to no avail. He'd managed to slow the bleeding in his back but the pain was still raging and he knew sleep would not be coming anytime soon. He kept thinking about Penelope and the others. He knew that JJ's injuries were serious he could only hope that he'd done enough to get her to safety in time. He didn't want to think of them all going through this terrible ordeal only to lose her or any of them. Now he had one more mission and that was to stay alive until help returned for him.

Earl and Cal set up camp for the night. They'd managed to get their tents up and a fire built before the rains had begun and now they were enjoying coffee and dinner before turning in for the evening. They felt confident that the morning would bring them their prize, a newcomer who no doubt knew nothing of surviving in the wilderness. This had been their play ground all of their lives and they knew it like the back of their hands. They'd decided not to kill him right away; it had been a while since they had a good old fashion hunt! The forest was like a maze to their prey and they would simply chase him down until he was too tired, too hungry and too weak to go on, then they would kill him…slowly, painfully and when they were finished they'd leave his body for the animals to feed on. Yes, it'd been a long time, a very long time since they'd had a good old fashion hunt and to say they were excited would be an under statement.

**FBI Headquarters – Quantico, VA**

Now that the team had been rescued and transported to a nearby hospital, Kevin was given the sole task of monitoring the storm that had hit the area of the crash. Another rescue team could not go back until the storm passed and the winds were manageable and so he would be the one to alert rescue that it was safe to go back for the last member of the team. Kevin was also on of the few who knew the full details of the rescue mission. He knew that Hotch, Rossi, Reid and JJ had been taken to Rocky Mountain Community Hospital; JJ's injuries were serious and Hotch and Rossi also were in need of emergency care. According to reports from the ground, Reid had only minor injuries and had cared for the others while Morgan left to find help. More importantly, Kevin knew that Morgan was still on the ground waiting for rescuers to return for him.

Kevin kept his eyes keenly focused on the monitors, watching every blip and changing pattern on the screen. He was glad that he'd been given this task; it gave him hope that he could finally right some wrongs and correct the outcome of some things in his life. He had to delay the return of the rescue team no matter what it took. Morgan had stolen the most important person in his life and he was tired of that man always winning, always getting what he wanted. He had his pick of any woman but he had to choose Penelope, his Penelope…now was his chance to finally come out the winner! There was no way even the Super Man Derek Morgan could survive in the harsh Rockies alone without food or water; all he had to do was wait and keep the Rescuers at bay, waiting for the weather to clear.

His death would hit her hard, Kevin thought. She would need a friend, someone who understood her and knew her, but most importantly, Penelope would need someone who loved her…and if nothing else, Kevin loved Penelope Garcia.

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – **

"Hotchner, Rossi, Reid, Ja…"

"Yes?"

They all answered in unison, interrupting the man who'd just entered the waiting room.

The middle-aged dark haired man approached the group cautiously.

"Sorry for the wait. I'm Doctor Mark Willis, I'm the team leader for the trauma team and wanted to come and give you an update on your friends and family."

"Thank you, Doctor. How are they?" Garcia asked.

The doctor took a deep breath before beginning raising the clipboard as he spoke.

"Agent Hotchner suffered a concussion and a few fractured ribs. We just got his MRI back and there's no bleeding, which is a good sign. We'll keep him over night to monitor him but he should be discharged tomorrow."

The group sighed with relief still anxious to hear more.

"Agent Rossi suffered a pretty nasty fracture to his left ankle; he's in surgery now but should be fine in about six weeks. He'll have to endure some physical therapy for another six weeks after that but he should recover fully."

"What about the others?" Will asked.

"Agent Reid was the luckiest he suffered some cuts and bruises and has a mild concussion but he's going to be fine after a few days of rest. We're discharging him in the morning as well."

The doctor looked at all of their faces before going on.

"Agent Jarreau was the most seriously injured. She's in surgery now. There's some internal bleeding, for sure some fractured ribs and because she was having difficulty breathing we suspect a collapsed lung. We'll know more after she gets out of surgery."

The doctor let the clipboard rest at his side as he waited for the group's questions.

"Wait! You didn't mention, Agent Morgan? Is he okay?" Garcia asked frantically.

"I'm sorry. Agent Morgan?"

"Yes! He was on the jet with the others!"

"There's no Agent Morgan. I only know of the four I mentioned."

"We had another agent on that jet, Doctor!" Cruz insisted.

"And I'm telling you, Agent, there was only four!"

"Could he have been taken to another hospital?" Garcia asked.

"No. Everyone was brought here. We're the only trauma unit in the area."

"Where is he? He has to be here! There has to be some mix-up!"

"I assure you, Miss, there were only four! I was there to receive them myself. I'm sorry. I'll keep you informed on Ms. Jarreau's status as soon as I know something."

The doctor turned without another word and quickly left the room. Cruz pulled out his phone and walked away from the group momentarily. Garcia stood stunned; she felt the blood drain from her face trying to comprehend what they had just been told. The room began to spin around her and she felt her legs give way under her.

Will noticed his friend and quickly moved to her in time to keep her from hitting the floor. He helped her to the nearest chair as she looked at him blankly.

"He can't just be gone, Will. No one just disappears."

"We'll find out what happened, I promise you, Pen." Will assured her.

He watched as she began to cry uncontrollably as Cruz walked up to them with a grim look on his face. Penelope saw the look, knew the look; she didn't want to hear any bad news, nothing that would tell her he was gone…nothing that would confirm that her life was over.

"Penelope…"

"NO!"

"Penelope, I'm sorry…"

"NO! If you're going to tell me that something has happened to him…that he's…"

Cruz knelt down in front of her and gently took her hands. He waited for her to look at him. When she did he knew she was ready to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sorry but the rescuers had to leave Morgan behind."


	10. Chapter 10

"Please tell me you didn't just say that Morgan was left behind!"

She stared wide-eyed fuming and red-faced at Cruz. He didn't have all the facts yet and all of the questions she no doubt had he'd already asked during his phone conversation. He demanded a full report which would take time; Garcia wanted answers now and she wasn't going to wait.

"I have Putnam looking into what happened. As soon as I know you will know."

It still didn't make sense. How could rescuers leave someone behind? What made that okay? Why was he the one chosen to leave to fend for himself in the middle of nowhere?

She stood and began pacing back and forth in a small circle. Then suddenly she headed toward the door.

"I've got to talk to Hotch or Reid…Rossi…somebody better be able to tell me something!"

Cruz followed closely as she ran down the hall to catch up with the doctor.

**Rocky Mountains – Morning**

Morgan knew that whoever was following him would be coming after him soon. It was daybreak and the rain had finally stopped and the winds had slowed. He'd barely slept, cold and soaked to the bone he was determined to not go down without a fight. He didn't know the area thick, dark and hidden from any form of civilization but he was armed and he knew how to defend himself. He wasn't going to be easy prey for anyone. They'd already put a bullet in his back and by know they were sure that they had the upper hand but Morgan was about to turn the tables on his hunters and show them how it felt to be hunted.

Earl and Cal climbed out of their tent and began breaking camp; today would be a day filled with excitement and challenge. They were competitive and they'd both try to beat the other at winning the prize. The poor man wouldn't see it coming they'd be on him so fast he'd wouldn't be able to do anything but look down the barrel of their rifles.

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – Noon**

It had taken a while before Garcia was allowed in any of her teammates' rooms. Early morning shift change and examinations kept her pacing the halls for another three hours. Her first stop was Hotch's room storming in with Cruz following close behind shooting an apologetic look at the senior agent as he finished his breakfast.

"Hotch! How could you let them leave Morgan in that god-forsaken place?"

Hotch looked at Cruz both men confused not knowing what to say that would explain to her what had happened.

"Garcia, calm down…"

"I swear Hotch, if anybody tells me to calm down one more time I'll erase everybody in this place…you included!"

"Garcia, we tried to make them wait…to not leave him! We all were hurt and strapped to gurneys! We tried I swear, we tried!"

Garcia suddenly snapped to her senses she knew the team would never leave any of them behind; they were family, inseparable. She was striking out against the wrong person still there was no excuse why they had all returned except him.

She felt light-headed and weak suddenly and the room began to spin. Hotch noticed her looking paler than normal all of a sudden and he jerked his body toward her forgetting that his body would object to any sudden movement. The pain forced him back onto the pillows. Cruz had noticed too and helped her to the chair next to the bed.

"Are you okay?" Their boss asked concerned.

"I-I'm fine. I'm sorry…"

"Garcia, we'll get him home, I promise." Hotch said as he looked at her worriedly.

"I know it's hard and we're are asking the near impossible, but you've got to stay calm, especially now."

She shot a quick glare at Cruz and he regretted his words.

"What do you mean, _'especially now'_? Hotch asked.

"I'm pregnant…sir."

"What? I-I mean, congratulations!"

"You've got to bring him home, please! He doesn't know about the baby! I can't do this without him, please." She said teary.

Garcia felt utter despair and helplessness there was nothing she could do to change anything that was happening. Morgan had saved all of their lives too many times to count and now he needed them to save his. How could rescuers decide not to rescue someone? How and when did it become okay to leave someone behind? She needed him home, she needed to know that he was okay and she needed to know who she needed to make pay for not bringing him out with the others.

**FBI Headquarters – **

Kevin sat nervously in front of the multiple monitor screens watching the weather patterns and listening to updates from the National Weather Service. Everything was pointing to the same thing the storm that had hit the area of the crash site had passed and the weather was clearing up. Most of those involved in the leadership and rescue had returned to their normal duties and now only a skeleton team continued to work wrapping up and coordinating getting the remaining survivor home. No one was watching the weather except him and there was no reason not to trust his report. Still, he was nervous what he was doing was wrong and if it was discovered that he was falsifying his report then his career was over. He was willing to take the chance, besides, he was smarter than most of the others anyway, even if they were standing over him looking at his screens they wouldn't have a clue of what they were looking at. The only other person that could figure it all out was far, far away fretting over her team and worried sick about the man who'd stolen her away from him. He really couldn't feel sorry for the poor guy; Karma was a bitch and Derek Morgan was getting exactly what he deserved and when it was all over and done with he'd be there to help Penelope pick up the pieces then the two of them would live happily ever after.

**Rocky Mountains – **

"Let's split up." Earl began. "He's probably about a hundred yards north of here. If you go around on the right, I'll go around the left, box him in between us, then we'll have him trapped!"

"Sounds good!" Cal agreed. "Besides, he's probably still sleep. This is going to be a piece of cake…man flying around in a Leer jet probably has never even gone camping in his backyard."

The two headed out in opposite directions. Before they took two steps, Earl turned to his cousin with joking parting words.

"Oh and Cal?"

"What's up, Cuz?"

"If you reach him before I do, don't miss!"

"You can count on me!" He chuckled.

Morgan knew the best thing to do was to stay put. Running into the unknown would only take him further away from the crash site and even send him running smack dab into the waiting arms of whoever was out to kill him. Besides, his body wouldn't take any more exertion, he was hungry and thirsty and his back was beginning to remind him that it needed medical attention.

Quietly he pulled his gun from his bag and checked to make sure it was fully loaded. Next he checked the gun he always wore strapped to his ankle. Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, he leaned against the tree adjusted the brush that he'd used to keep him hidden throughout the night and waited.

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – Late Afternoon**

Will sat quietly at his wife's bedside gently holding her hand in his. JJ's mother, Sandy, watched her daughter from the other side of the bed crying tears of gratitude that her daughter had made it out of surgery. It had been touch and go and they had nearly lost her on the table. But she was a fighter; she'd proven that so many times in the past.

Brushing strands of hair from her pale face, Will planted a soft kiss on the lips of his sleeping wife and thought about how terrified he'd been after hearing about the crash. He couldn't imagine losing his wife and his son losing his mother. He didn't know how Hotch had been able to handle losing Haley and he didn't want to find out first hand.

He hadn't had a chance to talk to her since the rescue. The doctors had whisked her off to the O.R. then to ICU; now she was in a regular room, which was a good sign. He didn't know how to tell her about Morgan, the two of them were close how would he tell her that he had not come back with the rest of them?

"You really need to get some rest, you know?"

"I was about to say the same thing to you." Will answered back.

"I thought I had lost her." He added.

"Me too. We got lucky this time."

"I keep thinking about Henry. How do you tell a child that his mother…"

"Shh…she's alive and the doctors said that's she's going to be just fine."

"I know it's just…"

"Will, don't dwell on that right now! All that matters is that she's here, with us, now!"

"She's going to want to see Henry when she wakes up."

"That's for sure. But it's better that he's home. Your neighbor is so good with him. JJ will be out of here in now time and you three will be together under one roof."

"Thanks for coming with me, Sandy."

"JJ's my daughter my only child now. Of course I'd be here."

Will felt the small hand in his move slightly and he looked straight into the blue eyes of his wife as she slowly opened them still drowsy from the anesthetic.

"Will?"

"Hey, babe. Good morning…or should I say afternoon."

JJ turned her head to see her mother looking down at her.

"Mom?"

"Hello, my beautiful girl!"

"Where's Henry?"

"He's at home. He's just fine and missing his mommy." Will answered.

"Where's the rest of the team?" She asked frantically.

"They're fine! Hotch, and Reid are getting discharged later today and Rossi will be here another day or so but he's fine too."

Will looked at his mother-in-law. The next part wasn't going to be easy.

"Morgan? What about Morgan! Did he make it out?"

"JJ…" Will began.

"No! Will! I begged them to wait for him! Please tell me that they didn't leave him behind!"

"I'm so sorry, JJ…he wasn't with you guys when the choppers brought you all here."

"But he was there! I saw him! How could they leave him? He made it back to the crash site! I saw him in the brush! I saw him!"

Will was worried now; she was inconsolable and fighting to get out of bed. The monitors were beeping and the noise of her shouts mixed with the warnings sounds brought the nurses rushing into the room.

"JJ, you've got to stay calm. You'll reinjure yourself!" Her mother pleaded.

The nurse pushed past Will and Sandy checking the monitors and shooting a sedative into her IV.

"I'm going to have to ask you both to leave until we get her settled again! She has to remain calm if she's going to recover!" Dora, the head nurse ordered.

Reluctantly, Will and Sandy moved toward the door taking one last look and then heading out into the hallway.

**Rocky Mountains – **

Morgan heard the footsteps inching closer to where he sat hidden. He strained against the increasing pain and focused vowing to make his shot a good one. He heard the man's voice, taunting him trying to make him panic but he'd come up against too many UnSubs over the years to be moved by the man. He would use his over confidence to his advantage so he patiently waited for the perfect opportunity.

"_I know you're heeerreeee! Come on out and I won't make you suffer too long!" _The man teased.

"_Come on…there's no where for you to go! My cousin's just steps away! If I don't get you, he will." _He continued.

The man didn't see it coming, didn't think the man was armed and quite capable of defending himself. He didn't realize the man was Derek Morgan the FBI superstar who'd taken down far worse threats than him.

In a flash, Morgan stepped out gun drawn and trained on his advisary. He tried to turn and make up for the lost seconds but it was too late! His rifle went off sending a bullet into the air above his head. Calm, collected and determined, Morgan fired, sending a bullet straight and hitting the man point blank in the forehead.

Thanks to the man running his mouth he knew there was at least one more hunting him. The wide-eyed expression was still on the man's face as his lifeless body hit the ground. Morgan quickly grabbed the rifle that lay on the ground next to the dead man's body. He heard footsteps running toward him. Quickly, he disappeared into the blackness of the trees.

One down and one to go! No Morgan wasn't going to go easy, not today. He had too much to live for and he wanted nothing more than to go home.

Earl rushed toward the sound of the two gunshots; one was the familiar sound of his cousin's rifle. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his younger cousin lying dead on the forest floor. He couldn't believe his eyes, Cal was like a brother to him; they'd grown up together raised by the same man they were all each other had.

"NO! Cal!"

He rushed over and dropped to his knees grabbing the body and holding it close to him. Rocking back and forth tears stung his eyes and ran down his face.

"I'll kill you! Whoever you are! I'm going to kill you! You can't hide! I'll find you!"

Earl continued to rock his dead cousin in his arms as he wailed and grieved the loss of the man that was more like a brother to him and he vowed with every ounce of strength that he would hunt down the man who'd put a bullet in his head and make him pay!


	11. Chapter 11

**FBI Headquarters – **

Kevin continued to stare at his monitors he knew he couldn't keep the information about the storms from the others. It would only be a matter of time before they would be calling for an update and he couldn't chance them getting the information from another source. He was being foolish to think that he could prevent another team of rescuers from going after Derek. Besides, by now maybe the poor agent had been gobbled up by a tiger, a lion or a bear! One could only hope, he thought to himself as he reluctantly headed away from his bank of monitors toward the command area.

**Rocky Mountains – **

Morgan kept moving trying desperately to double back toward the crash site. Maybe the other man who was following him wouldn't expect that. He didn't want to become utterly lost and he knew that his hunter was using his unfamiliarity with the forest against him. His body was also beginning to work against him the loss of blood and pain was slowing him down. He was thirsty, hungry and tired; his mind was on his team did they make it to safety alive? Was JJ with Will and Henry? Then his mind thought of Penelope he had fought hard not to think about her worrying about him. Once she found out that he had willingly stayed behind so that the others would make it out, she'd be furious with him. He'd promised never to make her worry again, like he could really keep that promise. Still, he wasn't sure if he could make her understand why he chose to stay rather than fight to be one of the ones to be rescued. But that wasn't who he was and he'd promised JJ too that he'd get her home.

He had to stop just for a moment his vision was getting blurry and his head was spinning. His knees suddenly gave way and his body fell limply to the ground. Even though his clothes were still soaked from the previous nights rain he was sweating profusely. Strangely, the ground felt comfortable and he wanted to close his eyes but he knew a man determined to take his life was nearby. He struggled to get to his feet but his body simply couldn't do what his mind willed. If he couldn't walk then he'd crawl across the forest floor. Just as he had managed to get to his knees he heard noises close…too close…then the sharp crushing pain across the back of his head sent him spiraling back to the ground and into the dark abyss.

Earl Jenkins looked down on the still bloody body of the man who had just killed his cousin. With his face still stained with tears, Earl realized that a quick death would not satisfy his need for revenge. No, he'd take his time with him making him feel as much pain and terror as his body could take before ending his life. This man at his feet had taken the one person whom he trusted and loved the most. Now he would have to pay and he wouldn't be content until he begged for his life…then and only then would he put a bullet between his eyes.

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – **

Penelope had convinced Will and Sandy to take break while she sat at JJ's side. She was happy to see her friend safe and sound and even though her injuries were serious she'd made it through surgery and the doctors was certain that she'd make a full recovery. Penelope couldn't deny the twinge of anger and envy that Derek had not been rescued with the rest of the team. How could they leave him? Never leave a man behind, she'd heard Derek say this more than once and she knew without a doubt that he'd never leave any of them behind. Her tears betrayed her as she wiped her face with the well-used Kleenex clinched in her hand. She didn't want to cry, she wanted to scream, to yell to demand someone tell her that Morgan wasn't still in the forest but was in one of the rooms next door or down the hall but he wasn't and the tears kept coming.

"Garcia?"

Garcia looked up into the teary blue eyes of her friend. She didn't know what to say to the woman lying in the bed.

"Hey! How are you?"

Garcia stood and moved close to the head of the bed. She saw the sorrow and guilt in JJ's eyes. What could she say that would make any sense to her? So she simply sat on the edge of the bed, gently grasped JJ's hand and the two silently shared tears of knowing together.

"I'm so sorry, Garcia, I begged them not to leave without Derek! You've got to believe me." Her voice was weak and faint.

"Just tell me he was alive, JJ! Please was he alive?"

"Yes, he was alive!"

"Why wasn't he with you guys?"

"He went to find help…to find a way to signal help when they came for us."

"Damn that man! Why does he always have to be the hero?"

"It's who he is, Garcia!"

The door opened interrupting the reunion. Both women turned to see Cruz he looked troubled.

"I hope you feel better than you look."

His attempt at humor failed but he was stalling his news was disturbing and he felt responsible and guilty for allowing one of his own to be left behind.

"Yeah, well I feel pretty bad so I can only imagine how I look."

"Any news on Derek" Garcia asked.

"I just got off the phone with Putnam." He began.

"Another team is getting ready to head back to look for Agent Morgan."

"Why did they leave him in the first place?" Garcia asked angrily.

"Apparently, the mission was deemed a recovery and not a rescue."

"What?" JJ interrupted.

"They weren't expecting any survivors so their priority was to recover remains and any classified government intelligence and property."

"What does that mean? They all survived!"

"It means that their aircraft was too small to bring everyone back and with the storm so close even if they had room they didn't have time to search beyond the crash site for anyone else."

"Oh my God…He should have been there!" JJ began. "If he hadn't gone to try and signal rescue he would have been there with us!"

"Now he's out there…all alone…we've got to help him! Somebody's got to help him!" Garcia pleaded.

Cruz ran his hand over his head and exhaled. He knew that the outcome of this second rescue mission may not yield what they all were praying for; that Morgan would be alive and easy to find. Time was even more crucial now than before and he didn't want to have to come back and give them all bad news.

Will and Sandy walked back into the room with half empty coffee cups in hand. They noticed the tension in the air confirmed by the grim expressions on everyone's face.

"What's going on?" Will asked.

"Cruz says that another rescue team is getting ready to leave to bring Derek back." JJ answered.

Will looked at his wife and then his mother-in-law as he took a seat on the other side of the bed.

"I want to go with them."

"What? What are you talking about?" JJ asked.

"Derek risked his life to make sure you made it back to me and our son. I owe him."

JJ made no attempt to stop the tears now flowing down her face. She ran her hand down the side of his face as he covered her hand with his. He was a hero too. Damn, she thought, why did he have to be a hero too?

"Will?"

"No, JJ. You can't talk me out of this. If he doesn't make it back and I didn't help, I'd never forgive myself!"

"I know. Just make sure you both make it back."

"I will. I love you, JJ."

"I love you too."

Will leaned down and kissed his wife gently on the lips. She returned the kiss looking deeply in his eyes. She saw deep into his heart and remembered in that moment why she had fallen helplessly in love with him. Like Derek was to Penelope, Will was all those things to her and she couldn't imagine her life without him. He'd given her a son and a future, a reason to keep going and he managed to claim her heart all over again each and every day.

Will would forever be grateful for the man who'd risked his life for his wife, for his family. He was ready to bring him home and to be able to look him in the eyes when he said, 'thank you.'

"We better get going we don't want to keep them waiting." Cruz interrupted.

"What do mean, _we_?" Will asked in his heavy southern drawl.

"I'm going too."

Surprised Will shot a glance back at his wife then at Penelope. He knew there was no use trying to change his mind.

"Okay then, let's go."

**Meanwhile…**

**Rocky Mountains – **

Earl had bound Morgan's hands behind his back and bound his feet and dragged his unconscious body through the forest toward the crash site. The man was trying so hard to remain close to the downed jet so that rescue teams would be able to find him. So, he was going to help the man out but unfortunately when help arrived they would find the bloody dead body of his captive. Earl wanted him to be a reminder to everyone who ever thought of venturing into his part of the world. Nobody messed with Earl Jenkins, nobody!


	12. Chapter 12

Morgan was awakened by a sharp kick to the ribs…then another…and another. He tried moving dodging the booted foot crashing against his body but he couldn't move his hands and feet were bound tightly behind his back.

"Wake up! You don't deserve to sleep! "

Earl breathing heavily looked down at the man at his feet. He loved seeing the pain in his eyes watching him struggle to break free to not show emotion or fear. It was just like coming face to face with a deer or some defenseless animal who knew he'd gotten the drop on them. All of them knew that it was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger. Holding the life of another in his hands was exhilarating to Earl and he was going to enjoy taking this man's life.

**Rocky Mountain General - Morning**

"I'm pregnant!" Penelope blurted out.

She didn't know why she said it; just blurted it out over morning herbal tea. JJ looked at her friend, jaw slack and in utter shock. There were no words, nothing but stuttering and confusion.

"Did you hear what I said? JJ, say something."

"I-I- don't know what to say…congratulations?"

JJ didn't know what to say or think Derek had risked his life for her and the rest of the team. He'd promised to get her home back to her family she felt like she'd cheated him out of his own.

"Does Derek…"

"No. Derek doesn't know." She began. "I found out just before you all left. I wanted to surprise him."

Penelope began to cry as she placed her hand on her stomach. She'd felt queasy since she woke earlier and at first she'd brushed it off but now the slight twinge of pain had her attention.

JJ noticed a grimace through the tears and she knew Penelope would try and deny it if she asked her about it. She prayed that Will, Cruz and the other rescuers would find Morgan safe and bring him home. If they didn't she'd never forgive herself and she was afraid Penelope wouldn't either.

**Rocky Mountains – Crash Site**

"There'll be people coming back for me."

"So I expect but you'll be dead."

"What are you doing out here?"

"You ask a lot of questions for a dead man."

"It was self defense. If I hadn't killed him he would have killed me."

"That man was my cousin! The closest thing to a brother and my only family."

"Pardon me if I don't shed a tear I can't seem to reach my tissue at the moment."

The rage in the man's eyes caught Morgan's attention seconds before the butt of his rifle slammed across the side of his face sending blood flying across his shirt and down his face. Then there was the darkness…

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – **

Hotch and Reid had been officially discharged and were now seated in JJ's room along with Sandy and Penelope. Rossi who was still confined to the hospital sat in a wheel chair near the door pouting.

"Come on, Rossi, what's a few more days?" JJ teased.

"Tell that to my back those hospital beds are the worst!"

Rossi looked over at Penelope who was staring down at her hands totally unaware of the conversation around her.

"Kitten, how are you holding up?"

Garcia didn't respond.

"Garcia?" Reid said softly.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Garcia, when was the last time you slept or ate?" Hotch asked.

"I got a few winks last night."

"Garcia?"

"Really, Boss, I'm fine."

Sandy stood and moved toward Rossi.

"Come on handsome why don't we go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat for everybody. You're buying."

"Sure Bella."

The two left breaking a little of the tension in the room while the others tried distracting themselves with idle conversation. No matter how hard she tried to be a part of the chatter Garcia couldn't help but think about Morgan.

Kevin knew that the rescue team was headed back to the crash site. He prayed for rain…and lightening, earthquakes…hell he prayed for a damn tsunami anything that would prevent Morgan's rescue! He hated the man that had won Penelope's heart. He wanted to blame the super agent for his loss but that was on him. He should have never gotten involved with a woman that was in love with another man and the fact that the other man was Derek Morgan made it even more obvious that he was setting himself up for humiliating heartbreak. Now this was perhaps his second chance he wanted to believe that but it was too early for him to start dreaming of houses and white picket fences and little Kevins and Plum Sauces running around the farm.

He'd do anything to get her back he imagined her heartbroken and needing a man's strong shoulder to lean on. He would even pretend to give a shit about the poor agent's untimely death then he'd hold her, comfort her and give her what she needed through her difficult time.

Kevin placed the last few things in his bag, turned off the lights in his tiny unkempt apartment and headed towards his car. Today he vowed to up his game and prove to the woman he loved just what lengths he'd go to to prove his love and then everything would be as it should be and once she was back in his arms he'd never let her go again.

Cruz hated helicopters they were so small and loud so many things could go wrong. This wasn't the time to entertain his fears he had an agent that needed help and that was all that mattered.

Will strapped himself in and exhaled trying to shake of the nerves. He couldn't help thinking about how close he had come to losing JJ; Morgan had promised to get her home and he made good on that promise. When the two of them were alone she'd told him that she saw Morgan just before she was carried away to the rescue choppers. Whatever it took he was bringing Morgan home to thank him personally for what he'd done.

**Crash Site – **

Morgan watched Earl as he rummaged through the wreckage sifting through debris and stuffing things in his backpack that he thought were of some value and casting the rest aside. He struggled to remain conscious the pain from his injuries was relentless still he struggled against the bindings until he felt the rope around his wrists give ever so slightly. It was enough to give him hope and as his captor continued to ravage the jet he increased his fight for freedom.

Earl shot a glance at Morgan and snickered at his futile attempts to get free. Things never changed everyone and everything always fought to the very end to survive.

"You're wasting your time! Even if you did get free I'll shoot you dead before you can even blink!"

Morgan watched the man, he was confident just like the other one that he'd shot. All he needed was a little more time to loosen the ropes. He wasn't going to stop until he took his last breath.

**Rocky Mountain Community Hospital – **

He felt his heart skip a beat. She looked so sad and vulnerable standing alone in the small empty waiting room. He loved how her golden hair sparkled under the sunlight that streamed through the window. She belonged to him seeing her standing there all alone he was sure of it. He smiled as he slowly approached, her back to him. She'd be so surprised to see him…and happy.

They had to find him, she thought to herself. They were making a family and he had to be okay she needed him to help her and to be happy about their child. They'd talked about having babies, lots of babies together. Everyone teased them about how beautiful their babies would be. So, he had to be okay…

She stood looking out the window into the grey overcast of the mid afternoon. Will, Cruz and rescue should be in the air now headed toward the crash site.

He was close enough to touch her now. Slowly he reached out to touch her shoulder wanting desperately to run his fingers through her hair but he resisted instead he placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned to meet his eyes.

She was surprised and confused…he mistook it for happiness and gratitude.

"Penelope."

"Kevin, what are you doing here?"


End file.
